


Push It

by FairyNiamh



Category: American Gothic (TV)
Genre: Canon - TV, Community: comment_fic, Gen, Not Beta Read, Temptation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 22:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7481901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyNiamh/pseuds/FairyNiamh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheriff Buck visits Caleb and tempts him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Push It

**Author's Note:**

> This is written from the 1993-1994 Television Series. There is no hint of the new in this story. It's been ages since I last saw his series, so I am hoping I got the characters right.

Caleb lay on the living room floor as he drew in the note that his teacher had given him. It was, nice to be able to do something other kids would do for once.

"Someone's at the door," he heard his sister whisper.

Sure enough, not even five seconds later, there was a loud knock at the door. He looked over to where his sister had been before he got up and answered it.

He took a step back and frowned when he saw who it was. "Evening Sheriff Buck," he said as politely as he could. His mama had told him to always trust in adults. They would help him when he needed it. He knew he should be a good boy and do what his mother had taught him, but he didn't trust him. There was something wicked and evil in the Sheriff. Caleb couldn’t tell you what the evil was. That didn't mean he didn't feel it.

Lucas gave the boy his most charming smile before he talked smoothly. "Hey Caleb, I was roaming around, checking to make sure everyone was safe and, well, I got to thinking about you."

"About me? I didn't do anything. I was home all day," he said hastily. There was no way he would let that man pin something on him.

The Sheriff chuckled, "Now, had I been suspicious of anything, that hasty explanation would have made me even _more_ suspicious. However, I'm not here to accuse you of anything."

"You aren't?" he asked warily. 'Never trust a grinning devil.'

"No, I was actually here to see if you would like to keep me company while I finish my rounds. Then we could go out and see if I managed to catch any rabbits or squirrels with my snares," he explained as innocently as the devil could.

"Aren't squirrels kin to rats?" he wondered aloud in a bid for time. He didn't want to say yes, but he knew he had no reason to say no.

"That's right, they are both rodents, but they are tasty little critters."

"I ain't eatin' no rodent," the boy declared as he crossed his arms.

"That's fine, just means more for me."

"Ain't you afraid of gettin' rabies or somethin'?" he was truly aghast at the thought of eating a rodent.

"No, I make sure to check them before I eat them. If the squirrel _or_ rabbit look sick, I just throw them into a fire. Burn them to ash so they can't spread their germs to humans or animals," Lucas explained with a smirk.

Caleb gave a visible shudder at the thought of throwing anything living into a fire. Sure, he ate meat, but he didn't just burn things or animals down like that.

"Come on Caleb, let's go before the light leaves us."

The boy stepped out and past the screen that he divided them, but he knew he had stalled for as long as he could and it seemed that no one was going to come to his rescue. When he stepped of the porch, he made his way to the cruiser that was there more often than not.

Lucas chuckled from behind him. "We don't need to take a car. I only have to check on the Harris farm and then we can check my traps."

Caleb rolled his eyes before he turned on his heels and headed in the right direction. He had no troubles with the Harris family, they were nice and Alba would come over with some of her mama's leftovers now and again. They weren't great, but they were a lot better than what he could whip up on his own.

They only stayed there and chatted for about twenty minutes, then they were off in a new direction.

"Where are your traps" he asked the older man after he had followed for about five minutes.

"About ten more minutes in that direction," Lucas said calmly as he pointed to an area that the boy had never visited. An area he had been told to stay away from by his sister. Still this was the Sheriff and he would keep them safe, right? 

It disturbed him that he felt doubt at his own mental statement. The ramshackle house they approached did nothing to assuage that feeling.

"This house used to belong to Old Bubba Slim," the Sheriff supplied before he stepped up on the porch.

"Used to?" he asked warily. He didn't like the sound of that.

"He passed away just before you were born. Well, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Well he disappeared. We combed the house for clues. Nothing. So he might have just left. It was strange though."

Caleb could tell he was being baited. "Strange how?"

"Well, his dinner was still hot in the oven and there was this," he clarified as he pointed to a table in the middle of the room.

The boy would swear that he felt a hand slid down his back and pushed him toward the table. The sight of the button made him feel physically ill.

"It is tempting, isn't it?" Sheriff Buck whispered.

Caleb looked up and shook his head. "No sir."

"Really? A nice big red button and you don't want to push it? You don’t want to know what it does?"

The boy took a deep breath and shook his head again. "Merlyn told me something bad would happen if I pushed it."

"Now how on earth could she tell you that? She's been dead and buried for over a month."

"She has always warned me when there was something bad," he said.

"And she thinks that this button bad?"

Caleb nodded and crossed his arms. "Yes sir. I ain't pushing it."

"Are you sure? I mean, what harm could come to you if you just pushed one little button?" Lucas chuckled and reached out for the boy.

Rather than answer, he ran out of the house as quick as he could. It wasn't that dark yet and he could easily make his way home. There was no way he could trust Sheriff Buck. He needed to get home. Merlyn would keep him safe there. He knew, he was always safe at home.

~Fin~

**Author's Note:**

> \o/ This is fandom #60 for me to write in. So I am feeling a wee happy.


End file.
